40% of Welsh workers feel their job is putting their health at risk

Majority of workers in Wales link pressures of work to increasing stress levels

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Workers in Wales feel they’re putting their heart health at risk due to the pressures of work.

This is according to a new survey by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which is calling February 'Heart Month.'

The survey shows that swathes of people feel their stressful working life is leading to them eating a poor diet, not doing enough exercise and drinking and smoking more than they otherwise would.

The charity is now calling for employers to encourage their workforce to spend at least 10 minutes a day improving their lifestyle for the remainder of Heart Month.

The BHF survey found two in five Welsh workers (40%) feel their job has had a negative impact on their health in the last five years, with almost two thirds (61%) saying their general stress levels have increased in the same time period due to their work.

British Heart Foundation worker survey

46%

say their job has driven them to eat more unhealthily

43%

say their work has caused them to exercise less

31%

say their job has led to them to drink more alcohol

5%

say work has been a trigger for smoking more

British Heart Foundation worker survey

The BHF is encouraging employers to join its Health at Work programme and run the 10 Minute Heart Month Challenge, starting on February 16th.

Obesity, lack of physical activity and smoking all increase the risk of coronary heart disease – the nation’s single biggest killer.

But the BHF says that employers encouraging their workforce to take as little as 10 minutes every day to improve their health at work can lead to significant benefits in employee heart health and productivity.

Productivity loss as a result of heart and circulatory conditions is estimated to cost businesses £8bn a year.

However research shows of the vast majority of companies (82%) with employee wellness programmes see reduced sickness absence and a 15% increase in output.

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Lisa Young, project manager for the BHF’s Health at Work programme, said: “This survey is a stark reminder of just what happens when we don’t take our health at work seriously enough.

"Millions of people say they are smoking more, exercising less and putting on weight because they’re not considering the impact their job is having on their health and wellbeing.

British Heart Foundation worker survey

59%

Welsh employees regularly do unpaid overtime

31%

work more than five hours overtime a week

31%

fear job could lead to a heart attack or heart condition

British Heart Foundation worker survey

“Behaviours like these can be extremely damaging, not just to your heart health but also to businesses. From working with over with 9,500 organisations we know that the payoffs of making health at work a top businesses priority are too great to ignore.

“Small steps can make a big difference to your health. This Heart Month we’re working with organisations across the UK to encourage employees to take 10 minutes every day to make positive changes which could have a life-long benefit to their health.”